Text of DC CER 250287 (2024)

1 1 Chairman Phil Mendelson Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 2 3 4 5 6 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie 7 8 9 10 11 Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Charles Allen 12 13 14 15 16 Councilmember Matt Frumin Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 17 18 19 20 21 Councilmember Zachary Parker 22 23 24 25 A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 26 27 __________ 28 29 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 30 31 ____________________ 32 33 To recognize the Transgender Day of Remembrance, to celebrate the resilience of transgender 34 individuals and communities, and to declare Wednesday, November 20, 2024, as 35 Transgender Day of Remembrance in the District of Columbia. 36 37 WHEREAS, the government of the District of Columbia has affirmatively and officially 38 recognized the right of transgender people to live openly and freely as their authentic selves, 39 without fear of discrimination or violence; 40 41 WHEREAS, examples of the District’s official commitment to the legal rights of 42 transgender residents include the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of gender identity or 43 expression since 2005, and the refusal to facilitate cross-border interference in gender-affirming 44 health care under the Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act of 2022; 45 46 2 WHEREAS, the District of Columbia nevertheless has a particularly alarming history of 47 violence against transgender individuals including the murders of A’Nee Roberson, Jasmine 48 Parker, Zoe Spears, Ashanti Carmon, Deeniquia Dodds, Deoni Jones, Lashai Mclean, Tyli’a Mack, 49 Elexius Woodland, Bella Evangelista, Emonie Spaulding, Stephanie Thomas, Ukea Davis, and too 50 many others; 51 52 WHEREAS, bias, violence and systemic oppression against transgender people remain 53 unacceptably prevalent, including in the District of Columbia; 54 55 WHEREAS, incarceration, homelessness, poverty and addiction disproportionately harm 56 transgender people, especially transgender women of color, and continue to claim lives; 57 58 WHEREAS, transgender people have the same human rights as all people to be free from 59 violence and discrimination, and to live their lives with joy, dignity, and hopes for the future, 60 respected and loved as any other person; 61 62 WHEREAS, transgender people in the District of Columbia have long exhibited resilience 63 and bravery, including by organizing in response to the 1997 death of Tyra Hunter, a Black 64 transgender woman whom District employees refused to treat for life-threatening injuries after 65 determining that she was transgender; 66 67 WHEREAS, since the 2023 Transgender Day of Remembrance, transgender people in the 68 surrounding area have continued to be murdered, including Meghan Lewis and Tai’vion Lathan, 69 while misgendering by media and police may have obscured additional instances of violence 70 against transgender people in the region; 71 72 WHEREAS, the people and government of the District will continue to fight for 73 transgender people’s well-being, even in the face of escalating, cruel, politically motivated 74 attempts to discriminate against, stigmatize, and criminalize transgender people in state 75 legislatures and national political campaigns; and 76 77 WHEREAS, the transgender community and allies in the District of Columbia have 78 commemorated Transgender Day of Remembrance since 2001 and communities and organizations 79 here and around the world will observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, 80 2024. 81 82 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 83 resolution may be cited as the “Transgender Day of Remembrance Recognition Resolution of 84 2024”. 85 86 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia declares November 20, 2024, as the 87 Transgender Day of Remembrance in the District of Columbia. 88 89 Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in 90 the District of Columbia Register. 91

ENROLLED ORIGINAL 1 A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 25-287 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA November 12, 2024 To recognize the Transgender Day of Remembrance, to celebrate the resilience of transgender individuals and communities, and to declare Wednesday, November 20, 2024, as Transgender Day of Remembrance in the District of Columbia. WHEREAS, the government of the District of Columbia has affirmatively and officially recognized the right of transgender people to live openly and freely as their authentic selves, without fear of discrimination or violence; WHEREAS, examples of the District’s official commitment to the legal rights of transgender residents include the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression since 2005, and the refusal to facilitate cross-border interference in gender-affirming health care under the Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act of 2022; WHEREAS, the District of Columbia nevertheless has a particularly alarming history of violence against transgender individuals including the murders of A’Nee Roberson, Jasmine Parker, Zoe Spears, Ashanti Carmon, Deeniquia Dodds, Deoni Jones, Lashai Mclean, Tyli’a Mack, Elexius Woodland, Bella Evangelista, Emonie Spaulding, Stephanie Thomas, Ukea Davis, and too many others; WHEREAS, bias, violence and systemic oppression against transgender people remain unacceptably prevalent, including in the District of Columbia; WHEREAS, incarceration, homelessness, poverty and addiction disproportionately harm transgender people, especially transgender women of color, and continue to claim lives; WHEREAS, transgender people have the same human rights as all people to be free from violence and discrimination, and to live their lives with joy, dignity, and hopes for the future, respected and loved as any other person; WHEREAS, transgender people in the District of Columbia have long exhibited resilience and bravery, including by organizing in response to the 1997 death of Tyra Hunter, a Black transgender woman whom District employees refused to treat for life-threatening injuries after determining that she was transgender; ENROLLED ORIGINAL 2 WHEREAS, since the 2023 Transgender Day of Remembrance, transgender people in the surrounding area have continued to be murdered, including Meghan Lewis and Tai’vion Lathan, while misgendering by media and police may have obscured additional instances of violence against transgender people in the region; WHEREAS, the people and government of the District will continue to fight for transgender people’s well-being, even in the face of escalating, cruel, politically motivated attempts to discriminate against, stigmatize, and criminalize transgender people in state legislatures and national political campaigns; and WHEREAS, the transgender community and allies in the District of Columbia have commemorated Transgender Day of Remembrance since 2001 and communities and organizations here and around the world will observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, 2024. RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Transgender Day of Remembrance Recognition Resolution of 2024”. Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia declares November 20, 2024, as the Transgender Day of Remembrance in the District of Columbia. Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.